NEW ORLEANS -- The Detroit Lions snapped a 12-year playoff drought last season, but they couldn’t escape their reputation as one of the NFL’s biggest losers in the eyes of at least one free agent target.

Cornerback Corey Graham said today that he chose the Baltimore Ravens over the Lions in part because Baltimore gave him a better chance to reach the Super Bowl.

“I felt like I could definitely get an opportunity to play (defense) in Detroit, I just didn’t know if it’d be the best situation for me,” Graham said. “I had looked into everything. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to play on defense, and that was probably the most important thing. Obviously, financially, you want it to be close, also. But it wasn’t just about going anywhere and playing. I wanted to go to a competitive place, I wanted to win, I wanted to do well.

“Don’t get me wrong, Detroit had an up-and-coming team, they had done well, they had made the playoffs that year, knew they were up-and-coming. But when I came down to it, I just felt like Baltimore was a better situation financially and situation as a team for me.”

Graham, a Pro Bowl coverage specialist with the Chicago Bears in 2011, blossomed as a cornerback this year. He started eight games, intercepted two passes and should play a key role against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Graham, who also considered the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks, said the Lions made a more competitive financial offer than Chicago, but it wasn’t quite on Baltimore’s level.

Asked about his perception of the Lions as a free agent, Graham said, “It was all right.”

“The coaches were real cool,” he said. “I mean, it seems like they really want to win there. Their building, they got a bunch of young talent there, but it’s different. When you go to an organization, and you see the way it is in Baltimore, this is a top-of-the-line organization. It’s tough to compete with an organization like Baltimore.”

So what are the Lions missing?

“I couldn’t tell you exactly what they’re missing, you just know it when you see it,” Graham said. “Financially, I thought this was the better situation here in Baltimore. After sitting down and talking to the head coach, I thought this was a better situation for me to play, to be honest with you. Don’t get me wrong, Detroit had a lot of things up and down with their (defensive backs), but I just felt like I was wanted more here in Baltimore.”

Join sports writer Carlos Monarrez for a live blog of the Super Bowl on Sunday night at freep.com/sports. And don't forget to pick up our latest poster, celebrating Calvin Johnson's record-breaking season, at freep.com/megatron.